Pick for playing stringed musical instruments



April 4, 1967 r G. P. ODDO 3,

PICK FOR PLAYING STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed April 50, 1964 INVENTOR.

' 6'era/c/ l Oa/c/O AT RNEY United States Patent 3,312,137 PICK FOR PLAYING STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Gerald P. Oddo, 144-34 Melbourne Ave., Flushing, N.Y. 11367 Filed Apr. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 363,858 2 Claims. (Cl. 84-322) The present invention relates to improvements in picks of the type used for playing stringed musical instruments, and has for its single object the .provision of picks of the character described by the use of which novel tonal eifects may be obtained when playing :a stringed instrument.

It is an object of the present invention to provide picks, of the character described, by means of which each of the strings of the instrument may be made to produce a multiple sound or tone every time it is struck with the pick.

It is another object of the present invention to provide picks, of the character described, which may be easily and conveniently selectively used to provide either a single or multiple tone from each of the strings when it is struck by the pick.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide picks, of the character described, which may be used for selectively producing either a single or multiple tone from each string as it is struck by the pick by a relatively minor tilting adjustment of the hand holding the pick.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide picks, of the character described, which may be used to vary the time interval between the several tones of the multiple tones produced by a string when such picks are used to produce multiple tones from the strings struck.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide picks of the type used for musical stringed instruments, which when used to strike a string to produce either a single or multiple tone, will also produce a tremolo effect in the tone struck on the string.

It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide picks, of the character described, which are of relatively simple construction and may be economically produced and which may be used with great ease and convenience.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the picks of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiments are shown by Way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of a pick of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the pick of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Generally stated, the invention consists of a pick formed of a plurality of pick blades held in substantially parallel, superposed relation relative to one another by spacing elements to which the blades are fixedly secured, with the picking point offset in regular stepped relation to one another. In one embodiment of the invention the spacing elements may be rigid. In another embodiment of the invention the spacing elements may be resiliently compressible. In a preferred form of the invention, the edge of the picking end of the pick blades will be provided with serrations to provide a tremolo effect each time each of the blades strikes a string.

3,312,137 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 Referring now in greater detail to the picks of the present invention, and with particular reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, such pick is shown as having a pair of pick blades consisting of a lower blade 10 and an upper blade 12 which are held in spaced, substantially parallel relation to one another by a spacing element 14 which is rigid, as of wood, to which the two blades 10 and 12 are fixedly secured, as by staples 16. The blades 10 and 12 may be of substantially identical, conventional triangular shape, with rounded corners, with one of the blades, as 12, having its string-picking corner or end 18 inwardly olfset relative to the picking end 20 of the pick blade 10. At least one of the edges of the string-picking end of each of the blades 10 and 12, at its string-picking location, is provided with serrations 22 preferably formed with rounded corners, as illustrated.

It will be readily apparent that when a pick of the invention is held by the player with the inwardly offset blade 12 facing away from his body, the player may, by tilting his hand outwardly, strike each of the strings with the edge of the picking corners 18 and 20 of the blades 10 and 12 every time he passes the pick across .a string, to thereby obtain a double note from the string struck.

It will also be apparent that if the player places his hand into more normal relation to the face of the instrument, he may strike each string only with the edge .portion of the lower or outwardly-projecting blade 10 of the pick. It will be further apparent that whether the player uses one or both of the pick blades 10 and 12 to strike a string, the serrations 22 will produce a tremolo efieet of each note struck from the string.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the spacing element 14a is shown as being of a compressible resilient material which may consist of natural or synthetic sponge, to which the element 10a and 12a may be secured by adhesive material, in a manner readily understood.

It Will be clear that by the use of a resilient spacing element such as 140, the time interval between multiple notes struck on each string by the pick may be varied by varying the compression of the spacing element 14a to vary the distance between the string-striking ends 18a and 20a of the blades 10a and 12a.

It may here by stated that while the picks of the present invent-ion have been illustrated as comprising two blades each, it will be readily apparent that theymay be formed of more than two blades, utilizing two or more spacers, as may be required, with superposed blades each normally offset relative to the adjacent blades; all blades being offset in the same direction. It will also be apparent that the thickness of the spacing element may be varied in accordance with the eiiect desired to be obtained.

This completes the description of the pick of the present invention. It will be readily apparent that such pick may be easily and conveniently used, by making a minor adjustment of the players hand, to produce either single or multiple notes from each string struck with it, and that such variation from single to multiple note may be quickly and easily effected without interruption of the movement of the players hand.

It will also be apparent that the pick of the present invention, while being of relatively simple construction and economical to produce, is relatively strong, sturdy and durable.

It will be further apparent that numerous variations and modifications, especially as to size, shape, and spacing, may be made in the pick of the present invention, by any one skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set-forth, and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, the protection of the patent laws for any and all such 0 variations and modifications that may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. A pick for playing a stringed musical instrument, comprising a pair of pick blades each comprising a fingerengaging portion and a stringengaging tapered end portion, a spacing element formed of compressively resilient material and having substantially flat, opposed sides disposed between the finger-engaging portions of said blades, 10

said blades fixedly secured against relative rotation to said opposed sides of said spacing element, with the stringengaging end portion of one of said blades offset relative to that of the other.

2. The pick of claim 1, wherein at least one edge portion of said end portion of each of said pick blades is serrated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 567,447 9/ 1896 Barrientos 84322 768,241 8/ 1904 Seidel 84 322 2,221,234 11/ 1940 Frasier 84322 2,484,820 10/1949 Galetzky v84322 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

LEO SMILOW, Examiner.

C. M. OVERBEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PICK FOR PLAYING A STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, COMPRISING A PAIR OF PICK BLADES EACH COMPRISING A FINGERENGAGING PORTION AND A STRING-ENGAGING TAPERED END PORTION, A SPACING ELEMENT FORMED OF COMPRESSIVELY RESILIENT MATERIAL AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, OPPOSED SIDES DISPOSED BETWEEN THE FINGER-ENGAGING PORTIONS OF SAID BLADES, SAID BLADES FIXEDLY SECURED AGAINST RELATIVE ROTATION TO SAID OPPOSED SIDES OF SAID SPACING ELEMENT, WITH THE STRINGENGAGING END PORTION OF ONE OF SAID BLADES OFFSET RELATIVE TO THAT OF THE OTHER. 